Grave marker



Plll 12 a J4 M M CCOMA GRAVE MARKER s l 8 Fil TTORNEYl Patented Apr. 12,1932 PATENT vFFICE JOE' M. McCoMAs, lor LIBERTY, MissoURI GRAVE MARKERApplication led July 417,

Myinvention relates to grave markers and has for its principal objectsto provide an attractive, inexpensive and durable marker that may besecurely retained in either horie zontal or vertical position insuitablerelation to a grave, without requiring conspicuous and unsightlyanchoringm ans. i

Many4 cemeteries require horizontal grave markers, lowv enough to permitpassage of le mowers thereover. A further object of my inventiontherefore, is to provide a metal marker that will meet requirements ofcemeteries and that when positioned horizontally will have desiredqualities of visibility and '5 permanence.

In accomplishing these and other objects of my invention, I haveprovided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which isillustrated in the accompanying 20 drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a marker embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective View of the device shown in verticalsection, one of 2D the indicia being partly placed.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the indicia members.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of a grave provided with myimproved mark- 30 er shown in vertical position.

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the marker in horizontal position.

Referring in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a hollow marker body including a back member comprising aplate 2 having edge flanges 3, and a front or cover member 4 having aperipheral flange 5 forming a lid-like housing into which the backmember is inserted to form a casing. The flanges 40 3 and 5 havesufficient width to elevate the face of the front member substantiallyabove a surface on which the marker is horizontally positioned, forexample about one inch above the ground surface at the edge of a graveas 45 illustrated in Fig. 5.

The front member is provided with integral extensions or attaching flaps6 and 7 on the flanges at upper and lower ends thereof forming retainingwings hinged to the front member and provided with slots 8 adjacent1930. Serial No. 468,599.

their free ends to .receivev retainers suchv as pins or spikes ,9 havingheads 10 and insertable into the vertical end wall 11 of a grave 12 whena wing overlies said wall, to anchor the mark-er to the ground, asillustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

The back member is preferably formed of steel to provide a relativelyrigid and inflexible base for the marker, andthe front member ofaluminum to provide'a weather proof and attractive frame for indicia aslater described, and to render the wings flexible for facilitatingbending the vwings for purposes presently describe Y One wing,forexample the4 upper wing,

m'ay'therefore easily be bent rearwardly to engage the back member andretain the same securely in assemblywith the front vframe member,l whenthe lower wing is anchored to the grave wall to support the markervertically as illustrated infFig. 4, or the lower wing may serve tolatch t-he casing members together and the upper wing may be'bent atright angles to the` front frame and anchored to the grave wallto retaina horizontally positioned 'marker as illustrated in Fig. 5.

` A portion 13 ofthe front member is outstrucl to provide an outwardlyvodset indicia-receiving panel having instruck areas formingV transverseelongated recesses or socketshaving bottoms 14 lying substantially intheplane of the body of the member, and edge walls 15 provided withslots 16 to receive relatively long tapering iiexible tongues 17 havingbent tips'18 on the Lipper ends of metal indicia or letter members 19and short broad tongues 2O at the lower ends of the letter members. Theindicia members have height corresponding toV thevertical dimensions ofthe sockets to enable the members to seat snugly therein. f y

A similar raised area 21 of the front member is indented t0 provide arecessed panel 22 which is provided with slots 23 to receive flexibleears 24 of plates 25 bearing suitable indicia, for example, anundertakers business address.

The unindented raised portions of the-front plate forms bordersV aroundthe indicia-receiving sockets, and provide webs spacing theletter-receiving sockets.

In using the invention, an undertaker may stock a supply of the markersand letters, and provide a. marker for installation at a grave in eithervertical or horizontal position. Suitable letters may be arranged in thedisplay panel `to forni an inscription, the short lower tongues beinginserted first in slots in the lower walls of the recesses, and thelonger tongues then being inserted in the upper walls.

The different shapes of the tongues thus obviate interference of thetongue of one letter with the tongue of a vertically aligned andadjacent letter. Acard may then be p0- sitioned in the lower recess. Theback member may then be mounted the front frame member. p

Vhen vertical positioning of the marker is desired and permitted, theupper wing 6 will then be bent rearwardly to engage the back member, andthe lower wing will be located against an end wall of the grave andanchored thereto by the pin. Should horizontal positioning of the markerbe desired or required, the lower wing will be bent to latch the memberstogether, and the upper wing will be bent at right angles to the casingwhereby the marker may be located in horizontal position at the edge ofthe grave with the upper wing anchored to the end wall thereof, so thatthe inscription will be properly related to the grave.

The marker casing may be pressed against the earth so that mowers maypass thereover and the display surface of the marker will be located ata sufficient elevation to be clearly visible and not obscured by grassgrowing over and around the grave.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A grave marker comprising a front member formed of flexible materialhaving an edge flange, a base member having an edge flange formed ofrelatively rigid material, means includin-g said edge flange of the basemember for spacing base and front members from each other, and oppositewings on said front member flange, one wing adapted to act as a supportfor said marker and the other `wing adapted to be folded against saidbase member for latching said front and base members together.

2. In a device of the character described, a display plate having anoutstruck panel with selectively depressed portions to form recesses andedge walls, said edge walls being provided with slots, and metal indiciamembers having relatively long and narrow tongues at the upper endsthereof and short and wide tongues at the lower ends thereof insertablein said slots for retaining said members in said depressions.

3. A grave marker comprising a front lnember formed of flexible materialhaving an edge flange and an outstruck panel with selectively depressedportions having slots in the edge walls thereof, a base member with anedge flange, means including said base member edge flange for spacingsaid front and base members, and opposite wings on the edge flanges ofthe front member, one of said wings being adapted to extend into a gravefor supporting said marker, and the remaining wing adapted to be foldedagainst said base member for securing said front and face memberstogether.

4:. A grave marker comprising a front member formed of exible materialhaving a peripheral Yedge flange and an instruck panel forming edgewalls having slots, indicia members having tongues insertable in saidslots, a base member including a flange for spacing said front and basemembers, and opposite integral attaching wings continuing from theflange of the front member, one of said wings being adapted to extendinto a grave .and the other to be folded against said base member forsecuring said front and base members together.

' In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

J OE M. MCOMAS.

